From Stockholm to Kiruna & Abisko

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From the capital city of Sweden, my friend and I moved on to another town for another adventures. We decided to travel up to Abisko, a small little town in the Lapland region of the northern Sweden. There are several ways to reach Abisko from Stockholm; either by bus, train or plane. But due to time constraint, we opted to travel in the faster way which is by taking plane to Kiruna first, and from there we take train to Abisko. 

#1: From Stockhom Arlanda, we flew with Norwegian to Kiruna Airport

#2: We booked the morning flight in order for us to catch train to Abisko

Norwegian is a low-cost airline and it's the largest airline of Norway. We got this one-way flight for €115 (approx. to RM523) for 2 pax and we even included 20kg check-in luggage. Similar like AirAsia, it's no frills airline where you need to pay additional fee for non-essential services such as in-flight meals, entertainment and check-in luggage. Apart from Norwegian, you can search for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) too for direct flight to Kiruna from Stockholm. 

#3: A tiny of Kiruna Airport 

FROM KIRUNA AIRPORT TO ABISKO

There are two ways to reach Abisko from Kiruna; you can travel by bus or train and my friend opted for the latter. Regardless which option you choose, both departs from Kiruna Central Station. So once we stepped out from the tiny Kiruna Airport, we took airport bus transfer operated by "Hörvalls Bus" heading to "Hjalmar Lundbohmsvägen/Bus station". No prebooking is necessary and you can purchase ticket onboard the bus with cash or credit cards. Bear in mind that there's no ATM available at Kiruna Airport for cash withdrawal, so always bring along your debit/credit cards with you. A single trip cost 110 SEK for adult and 55 SEK for children up to 16 years.  

  

The reason why my friend chosen to travel by train instead of bus is because there are at least 4 direct trains compare to bus where it only operates 1 daily. And by the time we arrived Kiruna Airport, we unable to catch us with the bus schedule. The train rides took approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach Abisko Ostra and we paid 99 SEK for a single trip. It seems like the airport bus shuttle fares tend to be more pricey than the train fare when the bus ride took less than half an hour ride.   

#4: Abisko Ostra Station

ABISKO GUEST HOUSE

Because Abisko is a small and tiny town, hence there are not many choices when comes to accommodation. It's best to plan your trip ahead. We managed to book this Abisko Guest House at least 4 months in advance before our trip. 

#5: Abisko Guest House, 5 minutes walk from Abisko Ostra Station.

#6: Small but cozy common area

#7: Our favourite area - most of the time we spent our time here

#8: Shared kitchen when guests can cook their meal 

#9: This is how our room looks like 

Date Stayed: 12 September - 14 September 2016 (2 nights) 

Room Rate: 1,180 SEK for an economy twin room with shared bathroom for two nights (Booked via Booking.com)

Not far away from the guest house, there's a small grocery store and to be frank, that's the one and only thing we can visit in the immediate vicinity. With a population less than 100 people, don't expect any upscale restaurants, 5 star hotels and countless of boutique shops here. But to think of it, due to the less population, Abisko tends to be more peaceful, serene and calm than any other places I've been. It's absolutely a perfect place to relax your mind and soul from the hustle and bustle of city life. And also an ideal spot to heal the broken heart too. 

#10: One and only grocery store within the town

#11: Majority of the racks are pretty empty but luckily we managed to buy few things we want

And that's some brief introduction of Abisko town. Wondering why both of us chosen to come here? Stay tune for the next post for more.

#12: Autumn always my favourite season. How about you? 

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Stockholm, Sweden For Less Than 36 Hours

Previous Post: Qatar Airlines, Our Official Airlines To Sweden 

Stockholm, not just the capital city of Sweden but it's also the land of Ikea, H&M, Candy Crush and not forgetting the world notable Swedish meatballs. After approximately of 13 hours and 30 minutes of flight with Qatar Airlines with almost 3 hours of short transit in Doha Hamad International Airport, my friend and I had finally safely landed in one of the Scandinavian's big city. Feeling so surreal, but at the same time feeling pretty anxious too. 

#1: Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden 

HOW TO GET TO CITY CENTER FROM STOCKHOLM-ARLANDA AIRPORT

As usual, the immigration clearance was slightly tedious with few questions being asked but with all the complete documentations we had prepared earlier (such as flight tickets, hotel reservation), there's nothing to worry about. Just stay calm and be prepared always. 

From Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, there are several way to reach the city center but we opted for The Arlanda Express Train where we can access it at the lower level floor.  It departs every 15 minutes and the journey takes around 20 minutes to arrive at Stockholm Central Station. This option might be pricey compare to other means of transportation, but it's way more faster and convenient since we arrived pretty late at night. Budget vs safety, for sure I will choose the latter. 

 

#2: Arlanda Express Train to Stockholm Central Station

OUR STAY IN STOCKHOLM

We booked Old Town Lodge Stockholm for two good nights stay. It's a small cozy hostel situated in the heart of Stockholm, Gamla Stan with 4 different type of rooms; single room, double room, 4-bed room and cubicle-dormitory. We opted for the double room with shared bathroom. 

#3: Old Town Lodge Stockholm 

#4: Double bedroom with shared bathroom and shared kitchen 

Although the room might be small and compact, thankfully it's spotless clean and the bed is pretty comfortable. Just that there's no window within the room but we don't have any issue with that cause my friend and I spent most of our times wandering around the city. There is a small shared kitchen where you can find an oven, microwave, fridge, coffee machine and kettle - perfect for those who like to cook while travelling. The only thing we dislike about this is that they don't provide any bedsheet and we need to pack the bedsheet ourselves. 

Date Stayed: 10 September - 12 September 2016 (2 nights) 

Room Rate: SEK733 for a double bed room with shared bathroom (Booked via Booking.com)

How To Get To Old Town Lodge From Stockholm Central Station:

As the hostel located in Gamla Stan, one need to take metro from Stockholm Central Station to Gamla Stan Metro Station. And from there, it's about 7 minutes walk to the hostel. 

THINGS WE DO & SEE IN STOCKHOLM

1) Gamla Stan 

We kicked off the next morning by meandering through the colourful and picturesque medieval buildings and narrow cobblestone street of the Old Town of Stockholm. That's explain why I insisted to stay here, instead of choosing to stay nearby Central Station. Here, you will find countless of souvenir shops, authentic restaurants, craftwork boutiques and even the city's oldest cafe, Sundbergs Konditori. 

2) The Royal Palace (Sveriges Kungahus)

On the northern part of the Old Town, it's dominated by the classical and dynamic Royal Palace. This is the official residence of His Majesty The King and also the setting for most of the monarchy's official receptions. This combination of royal residence, workplace and culture-historical monument open to the public all year round. 

3) Riksdagshuset

It's the Parliament House of Sweden, sits on Helgeandsholmen Island. Just like The Royal Palace, Riksdagshuset is open for anyone wishing to attend a debate or public hearing. But because it's not within our interest, we're there just to take photos surrounding the building, especially the stunning bridge - it's perfect for the Gram.  

4) Avicii Arena 

Initially known as Stockholm Globe Arena and previously as Ericsson Globe, but commonly referred to in Swedish simply as Globen, is one of the Stockholm's modern landmarks. It's the world's largest spherical building and officially a national arena for the Swedish national hockey team. Up the iconic Avicii Arena, one can gain unparalleled and uninterrupted 360-degree views over the beautiful city from the glass cabin that scales the side of this impressive building.  

5) Stockholm Metro Station

Yes, the metro station of the city is a must-to-visit in your list when you're visiting Stockholm. Majority of the Stockholm's metro stations are spruced up with awe-inspiring statues, mesmerising murals and art installations on its platform, walls and even waiting hall. So spending a day in Stockholm by hopping from one station to another is basically like visiting the world’s longest art exhibition. You can read more here where I shared more photos. 

6) Swedish Meatball 

A trip to Sweden is incomplete without savouring the country's most famous culinary item - none other than Swedish Meatball. Unfortunately due to religious reason and because they unable to change to other, I have no choice but to opted for other. 

Swedish meatball paired with mashed potato and cranberries sauce (My friend's dinner)

My dinner - Pasta with chicken

This is the restaurant where we had our dinner

Ended our final night in Stockholm by stopping by Stortorget, a public square in Gamla Stan 

Basic Information About Sweden:

• For Malaysia, visa is NOT required for short visits to Sweden, not longer than 90 days. 
• Sweden has its own official currency and it's known as krona (SEK). From our past experiences, this currency is commonly found in any money changers, especially in Kuala Lumpur. [RM1 = 2.05 SEK] 
• However, do bring along your debit/credit card as the country is going cashless. I still vividly remember when we arrived Stockholm Central Station from the airport, we intended to buy metro ticket in order to reach the station near our hostel. Unfortunately, they only accept payment by card, not cash. Thankfully my friend brought along her cards that time. And don't forget to activate your cards for international usage at the nearest ATM machine in Malaysia before flying. 
• Although official language for Sweden is Swedish, don't worry cause almost everyone in Sweden excels at speaking English. My friend and I don't have any issue communicate with the local when we're there.  

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Stockholm Metro Station - Probably The World's Longest Art Installation

Metro station is normally served as a transportation hub to accommodate passengers in order to travel from one point to another. Hence, it's hard to come across any metro or subway station in any cities or countries that willing to put extra effort to manicure the station. Not until my trip to Stockholm of Sweden where their metro station is definitely one of a kind and sight to behold. 

Majority of the Stockholm's metro stations are spruced up with awe-inspiring statues, mesmerising murals and art installations on its platform, walls and even waiting hall. So spending a day in Stockholm by hopping from one station to another is basically like visiting the world’s longest art exhibition.  

Here’s just a small sample of the beauty my friend and I managed to discover below the ground:  

1) T-Centralen Subway Station 

This station is believed to be the first Stockholm's station to feature artwork installation. Painted the entire station in blue shades together with the simple motifs – stylized flowers and leaf creepers, the idea is to create calming atmosphere for the passengers pause and a chance to clear their mind as this station is where people always in a rush and hurry.  

#1: T-Centralen Subway Station 

#2: Painted in blue shades together with the simple motifs – stylized flowers and leaf creepers to create calming atmosphere

How To Reach T-Centralen Subway Station:

Can be reached by all subway train in Stockholm. 

2) Tekniska Högskolan Subway Station  

Close to the Royal Institute of Technology, the main intention of opening this station is to ease the convenience of the professors and students in order to get to the classes. And the most eye-catching of this station, are probably the five regular polyhedra located on the platform, each one representing one of Plato’s five elements: fire, water, air, earth, and ether. 

#3: Tekniska Högskolan Subway Station  

#4: The most eye-catching are the five regular polyhedra located on the platform

How To Reach Tekniska Högskolan Subway Station:

Tekniska högskolan is on the subway's red line no. 14 

3) Stadion Subway Station

Not far away from T-Centralan, I can say that this is probably one of our favourite where you can spot a colourful rainbow in vivid colours painted against the bright light blue between two platforms. This instantly makes me wanna sing, "Somewhere over the rainbow" song. Not just the platform is pretty attractive, but we also attracted to murals and art installation at the waiting hall.

#5: Stadion Subway Station

#6: One of our favourite metro station in Stockholm 

#7: Even the art installation on the wall is simply gorgeous

How To Reach Stadion Subway Station:

Stadion is on the subway's red line no. 14 

4) Solna Centrum Subway Station

Originally this station were painted solely in green and red only, but over the time, the artist decided to add more details and arts such as houses, rivers and trees. The bright green indicates the forest and the powerful red represents an evening sunset setting behind the treetops. 

#8: Solna Centrum Subway Station

#9: Red and green are the main highlight colour of this station 

How To Reach Solna Centrum Subway Station:

Solna Centrum is on the subway's blue line no. 11 

5) Kungsträdgården Subway Station 

Consider to be one of the city's most stunning stations and unsurprisingly, also to be one of its most photographed stations. Located in the middle of downtown Stockholm, Kungsträdgården is one of the Stockholm's oldest public parks. Hence, almost everything on the station portraits the story of the site above ground where the colour scheme of red, white and green is a reference to old French formal garden.  

#10: Kungsträdgården Subway Station 

#11: This station is painted to portrait Stockholm's oldest public park.

How To Reach Kungsträdgården Subway Station:

Kungsträdgården is on the subway's blue line. It can be reached by taking the no. 10 and 11 trains.

Actually, there are even more subway stations in Stockholm waiting to be discovered but due to limited of time, my friend and I only able to visit and cover 5 as the above. How we wish we could spend longer time in this wonderful city of Stockholm? 

HOW TO GET AROUND STOCKHOLM

With its extensive subway, the ideal way to travel around Stockholm is by taking metro/subway. The metro system called the Tunnelbana and has exactly 100 stations. Metro is probably the fastest way to travel to many inner suburbs not served by suburban rail, as well as offering a scenic view from the bridge between Gamla stan and Slussen. If you are in Stockholm for a short period of time but want an unlimited access on subways, you can consider to buy a pass with 24-hour just like we did. 

#12: 24-Hour Ticket for unlimited access not only on subways, but it also can apply on bus, trams and commuter trains. 

#13: Wondering when lah we can go travel? I'm freaking miss travelling so much 😭😭

Previous Posts on 2016 Sweden & Norway Trip:

• Qatar Airways, My Favourite Getaway To Europe

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Overwater Villas of Gayana Marine Resort

Due to its strategic location lies by the coast overlooking South China Sea, Kota Kinabalu has countless of tropical islands not far away from the city center. You can reach the island less than 10 minutes of boat ride from the city jetty. How convenient is it, right? If you are planning to have a short island staycation within the short distance of Kota Kinabalu but then, still giving peace and relaxation you are looking for, there are few you can opt for. One of them is Gayana Marine Resort. 

#1: Gayana Marine Resort

Rest serenely at the edge of a jungle on Gaya Island, Gayana Marine Resort boasts spacious and extraordinary water villas with wooden interiors and superior facilities. My husband and I booked to stay here before the commencement of last year MCO. Besides Gayana Marine Resort, they do have another sister resort, namely Bunga Raya Island Resort which is our next wishlist to experience. 

#2: Register ourselves at their office in Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal

HOW TO GET TO GAYANA MARINE RESORT

The only way to reach this overwater bungalow is by taking speed boat provided by the resort at Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. All guests need to register themselves at the office in Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal before depart to the resort. The boat transfer is scheduled to depart at 12pm and the boat ride takes about 20 minutes. 

Boat Transfer (Free of charge)

Check-in: 12pm

Check-out: 11am

Distance from airport to Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal: 15 minutes (Approx. RM10 with GrabCar) 

#3: Crystal clear turquoise sea water and we're blessed with clear blue sky on our day of visit. 

The sea was calm and the boat ride was pretty smooth. Without we realised, we have arrived the overwater villas we're anticipated for. I have to admit that this is my first time overnight on one of KK's islands after living in the city for so long cause normally we only went for a day trip. Upon arriving, we're greeted with welcome drinks and friendly hospitality where they played the local music instrument to welcoming us. Feeling like a VVIP walking on a red carpet. 

#4: Infinity pool overlooking panoramic sea view

THE ROOM

There are 4 type of villas in order to cater different need of the guests; Rainforest Villa, Ocean Villa, Breeze Villa and Palm Villa. The most luxe of all would be the Palm Villa features private plunge pools, glass floors in the living room and double shower and tubs for two offering seaviews whereas Breeze Villa are great for a group of families as it comes with separate living rooms and two bathrooms. 

As for us, we booked the Rainforest Villa facing the lush green rolling hills of unspoiled tropical jungle. All the stand-alone villas feature a spacious open deck and fitted with upscale amenities such as:

• Air-conditioning 
• LCD/Plasma screen
• DVD player
• Minibar with fridge, kettle and tea & coffee making
• In-room safety deposit box
• Ironing facilities
• WiFi within the room 

#5: Room fitted with top-class amenities to the highest degree of comfortable and convenience of the guest 

#6: Ideal honeymoon spot for the newly wed couple

#7: Private bathroom includes luxury amenities and powerful hot rainshower.

#8: Private open deck with sun beds 

THE RESTAURANTS

Due to its isolated and remote location which is completely cut off from the rest of the island, the only option for you to hunt for food is to dine-in at their restaurants. There no other restaurants, bars or even shops nearby. Hence, it's advisable that you can purchase some food and snacks earlier from the city's convenience store before departing to the resort. 

There are two restaurants available within the resort;

1. Macac Restaurant - All-day dining venue serving Western fusion food with a distinctly Malaysian twist by the pool, including wood-fired pizza, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, salad and noodle soups.
2. Alu-Alu Seafood Restaurant - Open for lunch and dinner, serving fresh Chinese cuisines where guests can select their meal from the menu or even pick live seafood from the restaurant's tanks. 

During our stay here, we dine-in in both of the two restaurants where we had our lunch (first day upon arrival) and breakfast (the following day) at Macac Restaurant and dinner at Alu-Alu Seafood Restaurant. Overall, we found the food was pretty decent and not bad but somewhat overpriced. 

 

#9: Macac Restaurant - All-day dining venue including where we had our breakfast here.  

#10: Macac Breakfast - Poarched eggs, grilled sausages, petit marinated sausages, hash brown, savory tomato relish and saute shitake mushrooms. 

#11: Freshly baked pastries and colourful fruits 

#12: Alu-Alu Seafood Restaurant - Open for lunch and dinner, this is where you can have fresh seafood from the fish tank. 

#13: Our dinner at Alu-Alu Seafood Restaurant - seafood fried rice paired sweet and sour fish

MARINE ECOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER (MERC)

One of the special features of this resort that distinguish them from the rest is the establishment of MERC, a learning and educational centre to create awareness about the marine ecosystem due to increasing threats on the marine life. They even propagating Giant Clams and restoring damaged coral reefs on the island. What amazed both my husband and I was there is a spacious theatre hall on the island where they will play a short video regarding MERC and marine life. It's fascinating even for adults like us. 

#14: Marine Ecology Reseach Centre - Guests can get up close with sea creatures from starfish to bamboo sharks. 

Awaken to the sound of gentle waves lapping below in the morning and witness the stunning tropical sunset in the evening, we were completely immersed ourselves in once-in-a-lifetime luxury experience that pampering the body and enlightened the soul. This is why I always feel that our homegrown island resorts eventually can compete with most of the world-renowned island resorts in Maldives. Why travel so far away when you can experience in your home country Malaysia, right? Come and let's Cuti-Cuti Malaysia now! 

#15: Final photo for memories before taking the free boat transfer back to the jetty at 11am 

The rates includes breakfast for 2

Proudly to announce that Gayana Marine Resort is now open for weekend stays starting from 19th March. For reservations and enquiries, kindly please contact this number 088-380390 or email them at rsvn.gayana@echoresorts.com.

[Credit to Oyster]

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